2 DSACC Updates Executive Director: Kate Henry Office Manager: Danielle Hananouchi The Extra is funded in part by The Fansler Foundation. Newsletter Editor: Danielle Hananouchi Spanish Language Editor: Lourdes Arias Contact Information: Down Syndrome Association of Central California 4277 W. Richert Ave. Suite 102 Fresno, CA Phone: (559) Fax: (559) Website: Statement of Policy and Disclaimer: The Extra is the periodic newsletter of (DSACC) Down Syndrome Association of Central California, which serves Central California. Subscription is free to members & friends of the Association. DSACC is affiliated with N.D.S.C and N.D.S.S. The Extra reports items of interest related to Down syndrome, so that the reader may make informed decisions concerning Down syndrome related issues. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in The Extra are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the officers, Board of Directors, DSACC organization or its membership. All medical related issues should be thoroughly discussed with your doctor before being implemented. DSACC does not endorse the writings of any individual, professional, or organization Officers and Board of Directors Jane Feist - President Bill Leist - Vice President Marie Harder - Secretary Lourdes Arias - Treasurer Denise Allshouse - Past President Members At Large Jeremy Bishel Paris Boone Daniel Christensen Seth Manfredi Tony Phillips Efrain Tovar Jennifer Whiting ***Office Hours*** Monday and Wednesday: 9am until 4pm Tuesday and Thursday: 9am until Noon Friday: 9am until 3pm Also open for scheduled events, and by appointment A Message from the President Here we are heading into May and June and a very busy time of the year for us with Down Syndrome Association of Central California. The big events we have coming up in May are the Five and Under Receptions. These are social gatherings that are vital to our cause of connecting new families to other members in their area. I remember attending one of these first events and meeting new friends. Many of those we met that day have been with us these past thirteen years as we have watched our girl grow. These friends have advised us on everything from potty training and feeding issues to the IEP process and school placement. I can t stress enough how valuable I believe it is to connect with others who can help you navigate the special nuances of having a loved one with Down syndrome. Please check this edition for information on the Five and Under Reception near you, put it on your calendar, and go meet someone who can benefit from your experience or seek out someone who is ready to guide you! In June, we have one of our big fund raising affairs, the Third Annual Tee Up for Down Syndrome. This is a very popular event that involves lots of fresh air, good food, and fantastic raffle and silent auction items. It has proven to be one of our more popular functions, so if you are interested in putting together a foursome, or signing up as a single, don t hesitate. Of course, we would love to have you volunteer behind the scenes; it is just as fun to be around all that excitement even if you can t play! Jane Feist 2011 DSACC President 2

3 Hey all you D.A.D.S. out there, Monthly Articles D.A.D.S. The weather is warming up, and it is time to get more involved with the upcoming DSACC events! I hope you will join us at the following events: 5 and Under Receptions - There are three receptions being held in May - Fresno: Storyland on Saturday, May 7 from 11am to 1pm; Tulare: The Fernandes Residence on Saturday, May 14 from 11am to 1pm; and Merced: The Torres Residence on Saturday, May 21 from 11am to 1pm. RSVP s are required by May 2. Tee Up for Down Syndrome - Friday, June 10 at Fig Garden Golf Course. Sign up to golf! If you are not a golfer, we can always use volunteers. Deadline to enter is June 3. Island Waterpark - Saturday, July 23. Purchase your tickets today at the DSACC office! Step Up for Down Syndrome - Saturday, October 15. Start rounding up your teams! And, of course, join other D.A.D.S. at monthly meetings, which are held the SECOND Monday of the month at 6pm at Round Table Pizza on Willow and Herndon. UPCOMING MEETINGS: May 9 and June 13 Grandparents: The Grand Art Show! How to display and appreciate the art your grandchild creates. It is likely that your grandchild loves to color, paint and create art whenever the opportunity presents itself. Maybe it is an activity at school or something you do with your grandchild on a spring afternoon on the back patio. Most arts and crafts materials are inexpensive or can come from things you have around the house. Coloring books and crayons from the dollar store, a collage of favorite things from pictures out of old magazines, simple paints or markers on a roll of paper to make a mural. But, what to do with all these special pieces of art once they are created? Surely you should display them for all to see, you are a proud grandparent of a budding artist after all. But, there are so many, and new ones every week! Where will they all go? Here are some ideas for keeping and displaying children s art that will solve both these dilemmas, and make your grandchild swell with pride themselves, when they see how you have honored them by showing off their work. Make a binder with sheet protectors to keep pieces in and to browse through. A simple display can be made by hanging a colorful length of rope or yarn along a wall and hanging pictures on it with clothes pins, changing pieces every now and then. Try scanning art pieces and putting them into an electronic picture frame for a entry-way slide show. Pick out two or three particularly good art pieces and have them framed and hung up in your home. Finally, if you have a family website (many people have one to share events and photos with family members who live in other parts of the country) be sure to post digital copies (scans) of the art work. One wonderful way to use the work your grandchild creates is to help them see their progress as they grow and develop. While a child may get frustrated trying to write or color, you may see that they are mastering the task better over time. Take the chance to praise them and show them something they created a year or two ago that you have saved, and point out how much they have improved! 3

5 Announcements Island Waterpark Saturday, July 23, 2011 Tickets are available through the DSACC Office. Tickets are $12 per person. Island Waterpark rules apply. Please call for more information, Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis. They sell fast, so purchase them today! Creating a Plan Creating A Plan (CAP) is a series of focused workshops to help you complete all the steps toward a high quality life for your loved one with Down syndrome. Upcoming sessions: June 22, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. Call the office at to sign up for these free educational classes. Check out our NEW donation page on our website - Click the donate button to make a one time donation or become a VIP donor and give monthly! AND, while you are on our website, do not forget to sign up for SMS messaging (located under our Contact page). You can receive text messages reminding you of important DSACC events! First Friday When was the last time you went to a First Friday event? You can enjoy some coffee, a treat, and good conversation while the little ones explore the play area. If your children are grown or in school, that s great too. Come by for the First Friday in May and June and catch up with friends or meet new ones! You ll be glad you did. Calendar Link Purchase your calendar today! You can customize your calendar to begin at your month of choice. And, remember, proceeds from each calendar purchased will be donated to Down Syndrome Association of Central California. Just go to: and choose selected DSACC pictures or upload your own personal pictures to create your very own calendar! Third Thursday - New LOCATION Join us for Third Thursday at our new location: Visalia Nazarene Church 3333 West Caldwell Avenue Visalia, CA South side of Caldwell just East of Demaree A Grandparent s Guide Grandparents, family and friends Please join us on Saturday, May 14, 2011 (Second Saturday) for the unveiling of our grandparents booklet. This beautifully designed book was created with the help of grandparents of a child (children) with Down syndrome. A Grandparent s Guide will help new grandparents explore the world of Down syndrome. We hope to see you there! Playgroup! Parents, we need your help! The topic of having a playgroup has been swirling around our office. The weather is warming up, and we think this would be the perfect time to start this gathering. How many of you would be interested in having a monthly playgroup? The location could be the DSACC office, the park, someone s home, etc. (The location can change month to month.) Please with your feedback. We appreciate your input, and would welcome any suggestions. 5

6 Thank You Thank you for helping us fulfill our mission to enhance the quality of life for all people whose lives are touched by Down syndrome. Many thanks to......our March and April volunteers: Kathy Monty and Sally Fernandes (Third Thursday), Allie Omandam (office volunteer), and Susan Reyes (intern)....lourdes Arias and Maria Falcon for hosting our Grupo Latino de Sindrome de Down meeting on March 27. There was a great turnout, and it was a very successful meeting! We thank you both for your hard work and dedication to this group. Sweetheart Luncheon and Fashion Show Pictures Photography by Snapshot Media Check out the Sweetheart Luncheon and Fashion Show Video on our website, Videography credit to Volt Entertainment. 6

7 Volunteer Spotlight Lourdes Arias Lourdes has been involved with our organization for ten years, since the birth of her very handsome son Arturo, Jr. In the past few years her contributions and accomplishments have been awesome. Lourdes is the spirit behind Grupo Latino de Sindrome de Down, which was founded in Just recently a meeting of our Spanish speaking families turned out such a crowd that we may have to think about increasing the size of our classroom to accommodate the group! In addition, Lourdes has been instrumental in the translation of all of our materials to Spanish so that our families will have equal access to information. She visits Spanish speaking families who have new babies and is a bottomless source of support for them. Lourdes is also the Treasurer for DSACC board of directors, a position that she excels in because of her training in finance. Whenever there is a need, Lourdes is always there with a beautiful smile on her face, full of enthusiasm, ready to assist. Thank you Lourdes for all of your hard work! Kid s Korner Answers Lourdes and her family; husband, Arturo, daughters, Crystal and Vianey, and son, Arturo, Jr. How do you keep a skunk from smelling? Answer: You plug his nose with a clothespin. Why do birds fly North in the summer? Answer: It is too far to walk. What do you call a duck that gets all A s in school? Answer: A wise quacker. a personal note from the Feist family We just wanted to express our thanks to our friends in this organization who prayed for Teagan as she went thru her heart surgery on January 17. We all believed that it would be a fairly short duration. As plans sometimes go, the recovery process took a bit longer than anticipated and was quite taxing on all of us. We know that many of you stayed up to date on Teagan s condition and were praying for her and our whole family as we struggled with the set backs. Thank you again for your kind words, your support thru the CaringBridge site, and your many prayers. It meant the world to us. 7

8 2011 Programs, Groups & Events Calendar For more information or questions, Call the DSACC Office Programs First Friday Meetings are held at DSACC office, 10am to Noon May 6, 2011: Come for a morning of Summer Fun Crafts! June 3, 2011: Aimee Tijerina, Pediatric Physical Therapist; Owner of Dynamik Kids Pediatric Physical Theraphy Second Saturday Meetings are held at DSACC office, 10am to Noon May 14, 2011: A Grandparent s Guide Unveiling! Grandparents join us as we reveal our new grandparents book Third Thursday Meetings are held at Visalia Nazarene Church, 10am to Noon May 19, 2011: Enhance your child s learning experience by creating a touch and read book; Brown Bear. Brown Bear What Do You See? By Eric Carle June 16, 2011:Denise Allshouse will teach you about creating Social Stories books Creating A Plan (CAP) Upcoming CAP Sessions Wednesday, June 22, 2011 For more information, please call RSVP one week prior to Session Groups D.A.D.S. Meetings held on 2nd Mondays at 6pm Round Table Pizza on Willow and Herndon UPCOMING MEETINGS: May 9 and June 13 Board Meetings are held the 3rd Wednesday of the month, 5:30pm, DSACC Office Events 5 and Under Receptions Fresno - Rotary Storyland Saturday, May 7, am to 1pm Tulare - The Fernandes Residence Saturday, May 14, am to 1pm Merced - The Torres Residence Saturday, May 21, am to 1pm Please RSVP by May 2 Tee Up For Down Syndrome Fig Garden Golf Club Friday, June 10, a.m. Lunch 12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start Dinner, Raffle and Silent Auction to Follow Island Waterpark Saturday, July 23, 2011 Tickets are available through the DSACC office 8 Step Up for Down Syndrome Saturday, October 15, 2011 Hoover High School More information to come in the July/August Newsletter